It’s all been said before. Nothing else I say here is going to convince the UNconvincable out there that agree with this, but as long as I have a voice, I will speak out against it! Making rules in a workplace that benefit people who are so called “not overweight” OR trying to get them fired because they ARE overweight is wrong!

Besides the obvious points that show that what ONE chart or book says is considered healthy may not be right for YOUR body, what right do YOU as a employer have to try to force anyone into losing weight or becoming healthier? Can we put a hidden camera in your house and see how you live and eat to see if you deserve the right to BE an employer? I bet you would have an issue with that, right? Well, your past, present and future employees take issue with you zeroing in on HOW they live their lives outside of the work environment, as they well should.

This is my response to hearing about how some employers are planning to try to “force” their employees into losing weight. One of the main companies featured heavily in the news the other day was Michelin(strangely enough with their big marshmallow man logo). Supposedly they are offering a $1,000 insurance incentive for those that keep their waist sizes under a certain number. For those out there who have perfect metabolism and can eat whatever you want without gaining weight, lucky you. Some of you might think this is wonderful because you don’t have to change a thing since you’ve already been blessed! No offense to those who are blessed but don’t have blinders on. Those of us who have weight issues will just have to toughen up, right? Or not have as good insurance? Next it will be getting fired due to your size! Do you really think this ISN’T a possibility? Then please hand me the rose colored glasses you choose to wear!

If you’re lucky enough to NOT have to worry about this ever being an issue for you AND you are one the ones you think this is a wonderful idea, I challenge you to think more carefully. Don’t think you will always be so lucky. Women used to not even be able to WORK at certain places……Now we’re going backwards and targeting people that aren’t their so called “healthy” size? What will come next? The sizes of food and drinks have already been targeted! Is it that impossible to imagine a time where whether you are big or small, your intake of food and drink will be monitored around the clock to make sure no unhealthy workers are employed. You might laugh, but don’t be so naive. A skinny man or woman might be more at risk for a heart attack than someone stuck at being merely a couple inches over the “waist requirement” simply because he or she is bigger boned! Soon enough, employers will realize it won’t be enough to simply target people who are “fat”. They will have to target ALL employees who are eating and living unhealthy because that’s a risk to them as well.

My curiosity is why they don’t penalize people for being too unhealthy because they are underweight? Isn’t it kind of the same thing? I mean if you are really unhealthy because you are too skinny shouldn’t that be a concern as well?

If they really cared about employee health, employers would do their best to provide a healthy working environment, which would include reducing unnecessary stress, for example that caused by such persecution. If they want people to eat healthy food, provide a canteen serving free healthy food. Free gym memberships would also be an incentive. But not punishing people for factors most likely beyond their control. Next they will be running DNA checks and refusing to employ people with a risk of developing cancer!

You’re right! You give them an inch, they will take a mile!
If someone gave me a free gym membership, I would definitely use it! For now, I walk or do Dance video games because gyms are expensive AND so are healthy food! I have more sympathy for low income people, like me, that can’t always afford to buy healthy food than for rich people who are overweight and just eat unhealthy anyways. America needs to learn to make healthy food alternatives cheaper so being healthy is an affordable choice for all!

“He couldn’t see why people made such a fuss about people eating their silly old fruit anyway, but life would be a lot less fun if they didn’t. And there was never an apple, in Adam’s opinion, that wasn’t worth the trouble you got into for eating it.” ~from Good Omens